
Mining and MineralsBlast Vibration, Flyrock and Environmental Control
A blast that breaks rock well can still be a serious failure if it throws material beyond the exclusion zone or shakes a village that was already unhappy about the mine. This course covers the consequences outside the pit. Delegates work through vibration propagation, peak particle velocity and the scaled distance relationship that lets a charge mass be set against a limit. Structural damage criteria are addressed, alongside the fact that human perception starts far below the damage threshold, which is why complaints arrive at compliant sites. Airblast and overpressure are covered. Flyrock is treated in detail: its causes in burden, stemming and geology, the exclusion zone calculation and the incidents that follow from a face nobody measured. Blast design controls follow, including initiation timing, decking and charge distribution. Monitoring and record keeping are addressed. Community engagement is covered as a control rather than an afterthought. The course closes on complaint investigation, on dust and fume, and on regulatory limits.
Course objectives
- Apply scaled distance to set charge mass against a vibration limit
- Compare structural damage criteria with human perception thresholds
- Control airblast and overpressure
- Identify the burden, stemming and geological causes of flyrock
- Calculate exclusion zones and verify face conditions before charging
- Use timing, decking and charge distribution to control effects
- Monitor, engage the community and investigate complaints
Who should attend
- Blasting engineers and shotfirers
- Drill and blast supervisors
- Environmental officers at mines and quarries
- Community liaison officers
- Regulators and inspectors of explosives
Course outline
- 01Consequences outside the pit
- 02Vibration propagation and peak particle velocity
- 03Scaled distance and charge mass
- 04Damage criteria against human perception
- 05Airblast and overpressure
- 06Flyrock causes and exclusion zones
- 07Face measurement before charging
- 08Timing, monitoring, community engagement and complaints
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September to 2 October 2026 | Lagos, Nigeria | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 30 November to 2 December 2026 | Pretoria, South Africa | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 10 to 12 February 2027 | Online | Online | R6,500 per delegate | Register Now |